INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Former NC State gymnast Jess Panza has been nominated to for the 2012 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

The award is given annually to a graduating female student-athlete who has displayed outstanding achievement in athletics as well as academics, community service, and leadership.

Panza was selected to represent the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

"It's an honor to be nominated for the woman of the year award," said Panza. "It's definitely a great feeling and a sense of accomplishment."

Established in 1991, the Woman of the Year Award was created to celebrate the achievement of women in collegiate athletics. To qualify for the award, an athlete must have completed their athletic eligibility and have earned a varsity letter.

This year a total of 429 female student-athletes from divisions I, II, and III of the NCAA were nominated. The NCAA will choose 10 honorees from each division as semifinalists, then select nine finalists (three from each division) in September. Members of the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will vote to determine the 2012 NCAA Woman of the Year from the finalists.

The winner of the award will be announced at the annual ceremony in Indianapolis on October 14, 2012.

"It would mean that all of my hard work over the past four years has paid off and that my accomplishments have been recognized," Panza said on the idea of being named a finalist. "I definitely put in a lot of work and time to fully dedicate myself to academics and gymnastics."

The Wolfpack standout graduated in May with a degree in Business Management.